Page 14 of Trapped Truth

“Willow, baby⁠—”

“Now, Kill! I’m sorry, everyone. Please excuse us.”

Seeing Killian follow her from the kitchen like a disgruntled puppy would be amusing under normal circumstances. Ethan’s head falls into his hands, and Warner visibly deflates once they’ve left, his bloodshot eyes falling shut.

“What now?” Ember whispers under her breath.

My palms move to cup her shoulders from behind, squeezing in a mark of support. It’s as much for my reassurance as it is for hers. The whole conversation has me rattled.

“We prepare. A war’s coming whether we’re ready for it or not.”

CHAPTER 3

EMBER

BEAUTIFUL PAIN - EMINEM & SIA

Scanning over Tom’s worried text messages, I’m thankful the poor signal in the mountains gives me a good enough reason not to respond. He knows we’re safe. I’ll call when we leave town, which if Willow’s husband has any say, won’t be long now.

I can’t say I blame the guy. Peace is a rare commodity and one that has to be guarded at all costs. He doesn’t want to roll the dice on his family’s safety. We wouldn’t be here if any of us didn’t feel the same way about ours.

In a spare bedroom, the late winter sun is shaded by thick curtains, dousing the room in shadows. Axel’s pale face is illuminated by a bedside lamp, revealing the soft, boyish curves I’ve come to know and love, his pallid skin stark against the tattoos that paint his throat.

Doc reassured us he’s stable and doing well, but the bullet that tore through his lower abdomen did considerable damage. He’s lucky not to have lost any major organs. It’ll be a long road to recovery—requiring time which right now, we don’t have.

“Never do that to me again.” I stroke a fingertip over fresh stubble, dark compared to his vivid amethyst locks. “I thought I’d lost you. I know I wouldn’t have survived it.”

The desolate cage that entrapped his still body flashes across my mind again. It’s always there in the periphery, lurking like a predator, primed to strike at any moment. We came so close. Too close.

“You were so still and pale.” My voice wavers, rasping painfully. “Dammit, Ax. I was terrified. I love you so much, and I can’t lose you now.”

The IV bag he’s connected to drips steadily, covering the quiet sound of my sobbing. I have to bow my head to hide in his bedsheets, unable to hold the wave of grief and terror at bay any longer.

It spills out in an ugly, overwhelming torrent that obliterates my self-control. I can almost hear the frayed boundaries in my mind shattering apart. Steep, defensive walls collapse into rubble as all the horrors of the raid barge their way to the forefront.

I’m not sure how long I sit and fall apart for. Soon there’s a hand rhythmically stroking the top of my head, silent but present. Through streaming eyes, I look up and spot Axel’s sleepy, drugged smile.

“I’m not dead yet,” he croaks, the words only slightly slurred.

“Ax! You should be resting. I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

Eyes fluttering, Axel groans under his breath. “Maybe a little. Think my pain relief is running low.”

“Shit. Should I get Doc?”

“Nah, I’m done being all doped up. Where the fuck are we?”

After fluffing his pillows a little and double checking the IV line feeding fluids into his forearm, I retake my seat. At least my tears have dried up now that he’s awake.

“Still in Briar Valley, though I don’t know for how much longer. We came here to lie low after returning from the operation in Estonia.”

“That’s right,” he mumbles. “Fuck, I remember now. See? No more drugs.”

“You were shot, Ax. Your body needs to rest and heal.”

“It can do that without being shot full of chemical shit. I need to keep my mind sharp.”

The urge to continue fussing over him is strong, but he captures my hand in a loose grip, prompting me to freeze. I have no choice but to meet his whiskey-rich eyes, the pupils a little blown but surprisingly alert.